From CNET: Apple is in hot water in the EU. On Monday, Europe's Competition Commission hit the company with a 1.8 billion euro ($1.95 billion) fine, after it concluded that Apple was preventing people from being told that they could pay less for music streaming services.
Currently, if you buy a subscription to a music streaming service within an iOS app, Apple will take a cut of that subscription. As a result, you'll likely be charged the maximum price, and may be excluded from taking advantage of cheaper options for the service that would be available outside of the app. But where the Commission takes issue with Apple's rules is that the company prevents the streaming service you're subscribing to from letting you know that those cheaper options are available elsewhere. It then also bans the companies from following up with you outside of the app to let you know about cheaper alternative offers.
After a lengthy investigation, the Commission hit Apple with the fine and also demanded that Apple change its rules to let streaming services inform European customers about where they can purchase the cheapest subscription.
"For a decade, Apple abused its dominant position in the market for the distribution of music streaming apps through the App Store," said Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager. "They did so by restricting developers from informing consumers about alternative, cheaper music services available outside of the Apple ecosystem."
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